Padres Down on the Farm: July 22 (2023 draftees make ACL debut/LE scores 22 runs/Dunn HR for FW)
Credit: Vanilla Gorilla Photogrpahy/ EVT Sports
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
El Paso Chihuahuas (Lost to Oklahoma City Dodgers 2-1) (39-56 on the season)
Anderson Espinoza: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 4 K (89 pitches, 54 strikes)
Brandon Dixon: (1-for-4), R, HR, RBI
Luis Liberato: (1-for-2), BB, SB
Most games in the Pacific Coast League involve a lot of runs going back and forth. That was not the case on Saturday as Oklahoma City Dodgers starter Matt Andriese mowed down the Chihuahuas in five shutout innings. The 2011 Padres third-rounder allowed just one hit as he picked up his eighth win on the season. Brandon Dixon did homer in the sixth inning to prevent the shutout.
Kole Calhoun and David Dahl combined for five hits for Oklahoma City, including four extra-base hits. Aside from facing the two veteran outfielders, El Paso’s pitching, for their part, did a solid job in keeping the game close. The Dodgers were held to hitting 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
San Antonio Missions (Lost to Frisco Roughriders 8-6) (45-44 on the season)
Daniel Camarena: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K (72 pitches, 46 strikes)
Jackson Merrill: (2-for-4), RBI
Ripken Reyes: (1-for-2), 2 R, 3B, 2 BB
Daniel Johnson: (1-for-3), R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
San Antonio got two first-inning runs on Saturday. After loading the bases with one out, Marcos Castanon blooped a single into right field. A sacrifice fly from Michael De La Cruz made it 2-0 Missions. Frisco got to Daniel Camarena in the fourth inning. A one-out single from Jax Biggers set up Kellen Strahm, who doubled to left field. After a walk to Josh Hatcher, Liam Hicks hits a ground-rule double left, tying the game. Three more singles in the inning made it 4-2 and ended Camarena’s night.
Daniel Johnson homered in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to one, but it became a moot point when Thomas Saggese blasted a grand slam in the bottom half, his 14th home run of the season. Johnson grounded out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning, scoring one but killing a rally. With one out and the based loaded in the ninth inning, Frisco sent Padres’ former #1 overall pick Matt Bush to the mound to face Jackson Merrill. A wild pitch brought one across, Merrill pulled a ball to right field for a sac fly to cut it to 8-6. The rally ended there with a ground out.
Fort Wayne TinCaps (Defeated the Lake County Captains 6-4) (46-43 on the season)
Victor Lizarraga: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K (93 pitches, 56 strikes)
Lucas Dunn: (2-for-4), 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, SB
Graham Pauley: (2-for-4), R, 2B, RBI
Kervin Pichardo: (1-for-3), R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, SB
The TinCaps offense got an early boost on Saturday. Following a two-out single from first baseman Nathan Martorella, Graham Pauley doubled to right field. Lucas Dunn would bring him in with a two-run home run, his first since July 3. Anthony Vilar extended the ‘Caps’ lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning. Victor Lizarraga struck out three in five scoreless innings, limiting the Captains to just four hits.
The drought is Dunn. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/NYXjM0F6z1
— Fort Wayne TinCaps (@TinCaps) July 22, 2023
Joe Lampe doubled in a run during the seventh inning to get Lake County on the board. After reaching via a single in the eighth inning, Dunn stole his 12th bag of the year. A walk to Albert Fabian set up a two-run double for Kervin Pichardo to make it 6-1. Lake County added on three in the ninth, including a solo home run from Milan Tolentino, but the comeback came up short. Fort Wayne is now 41-27 since the beginning of May.
Lake Elsinore Storm (Defeated Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 22-4) (42-44 on the season)
Henry Williams: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 5 K (79 pitches, 38 strikes)
Devin Ortiz: (2-for-4), 3 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB
Nick Vogt: (3-for-5), 3 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, BB, 2 SB
Kai Murphy: (2-for-4), 3 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Tyler Robertson: (3-for-5), 3 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, HBP
Two days ago, the Storm put up 18 runs in the first six innings against the Quakes. They did it again on Saturday. In fact, they put up 22 through eight innings. 16 hits, 10 walks as well as a Quakes error paved the way for the offensive explosion. Seven different players recorded multiple hits, including three-hit days from Tyler Robertson and Nick Vogt. Those same seven players also had at least two RBI. Robertson, Vogt, and Devin Ortiz each doubled twice.
MONSTER BASH
Kai Murphy launches this one directly over the Ad Monster in right to give us 6 runs on the day! pic.twitter.com/ENF0YUKZko
— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) July 23, 2023
Henry Williams, for his part, was happy he had so much run support. The tall right-hander struck out five but struggled with control (48% strikes, 5 walks). Williams gave four in 3.2 innings before leaving the game with a meager one-run lead. Kai Murphy led off the fifth inning with a solo home run, his third of the week. It started a four-run fifth inning. They brought 14 guys to the plate the next inning, scoring nine more. The Storm added on four more runs in the eighth and finished the game 11-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
22 RUNS. END OF TWEET. pic.twitter.com/Qo8MFUaGcU
— Lake Elsinore Storm (@Storm_Baseball) July 23, 2023
DSL Padres Brown (Lost to DSL Blue Jays 6-0) (12-22 on the season)
Alexander Agramonte: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Alcides Hernandez: (3-for-4)
Alexander Garcia: (1-for-3), 2B, BB
The struggles for DSL Padres Brown squad continued on Saturday. Alexander Agramonte allowed just one hit in three scoreless frames to begin his day, but the Blue Jays figured him out in the fourth inning. Agramonte was tagged for four runs in the inning on five hits, including a two-run triple. The Blue Jays added on two more runs in the sixth inning. The Padres were limited to just six hits. Alcides Garcia is now hitting 5-for-6 in two games.
DSL Padres Gold (Defeated DSL Orioles Black 9-8) (21-13 on the season)
Johan Moreno: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 7 K
Yoiber Ocopio: (2-for-3), R, 2B, 2 RBI
Jose Cordero: (1-for-3), 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Luis De Leon: (2-for-2), 2 R, RBI, BB, SB
It took till the fourth inning for the Orioles’ Andres Nolaya to rip a ball into the gap for a two-run triple to put runs on the scoreboard. The Padres responded by scoring six runs in the bottom half of the inning, capped off by a two-run double from Yoiber Ocopio.
Johan Moreno lowered his ERA to 2.58 on the season in 4.2 innings without allowing an earned run. The right-hander also struck out seven. The Orioles exploded for six runs in the seventh to tie the game 8-8. Jose Cordero walked it off for the Padres in the bottom half.
ACL Padres (Defeated ACL Rockies 8-2) (19-15 on the season)
Braden Nett: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 4 K
Eguy Rosario: (3-for-4), R, HR, 4 RBI
Homer Bush Jr: (1-for-3), R, RBI, BB, SB
Romeo Sanabria: (2-for-3), R, HR, 2 RBI
2023 draftees Nik McClaughry, Jay Beshears, and Homer Bush Jr. made their professional debuts on Saturday. Beshears walked in his first at-bat in the first inning. A line drive single courtesy of Eguy Rosario (rehab assignment) advanced Beshears to third. A sacrifice fly from Romeo Sanabria brought Beshears home around to score.
Braden Nett was wildly effective for the Padres, striking out four without allowing a run. His five walks, however, limited him to just 2.1 innings. The Rockies got on the board in the fourth inning when Jake MacKenzie homered to left field. MacKenzie would single in a run the following inning.
The Padres didn’t go away quietly, however. Sanabria tied the game with a solo blast over the right field fence in the sixth inning. Later in the inning, Estuar Suero doubled, followed by a walk for McClaughry. A groundout would move both runners into scoring position, setting up a run on a wild pitch. A walk to Jose Sanabria brought up Bush Jr., who singled in Suero. Two batters later, Rosario cleared the bases with a grand slam, capping off a seven-run sixth inning. Jhosep Chirinos struck out four in two scoreless frames to pick up his second win of the season.
Sunday’s Probables:
El Paso: Matt Waldron (1-6, 7.02 ERA, 75 K)
San Antonio: Ryan Bergert (0-1, 12.00 ERA, 3 K)
Fort Wayne: Bodi Rascon (2-2, 4.14 ERA, 52 K)
Lake Elsinore: TBD
DSL Brown: OFF
DSL Gold: OFF
ACL Padres: OFF
Al was born in Fresno, California with a passion for talking and writing about sports. The lifelong Padres fan is currently attending Fresno State as he pursues a degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to being a student, he does public address announcing at both the high school and collegiate levels.